Photographic-printing frame



[No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

E. W. SWEIGARD.

PHOTOGRAPHIO PRINTING FRAME. No. 603,713. Patented May 10,1898.

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(No Model.) 2 s ee E. W. SWEIGARD. Sheet Sh PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTING FRAME.

No. 603,713. Patented May 10,1898.

PATENT EErcE.

EMANUEL W. SWVEIGARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PHOTOGRAPHiC-PRINTING FRAM SaPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,713, dated May 10, 1898.

Application filed August 20, 1897. Serial No. 648,914. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMANUEL WV. SWEIGARD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new an d useful Improvements in Printing-Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in printing-frames, the object of which is to remove, as far as possible, the danger of breaking the glass and at the same time preserve an even and perfect contact between the negative and the surface upon which the print is to be made. In addition to this it is my purpose to greatly lessen the work of manipulating frames of this sort, thereby saving time as well as material.

To these ends the invention consists in certain features of novelty to be hereinafter fully described, the essential characteristics of which will be definitely pointed out in the claims.

The drawings present five figures, of which Figure 1 is a plan of one of my improved frames in its preferred form. Fig. 2 isa vertical section in line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly broken away, in Vertical section; and Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 2, but in a different plane andshowing a slight modification.

Referring to the drawings, A is a rectangular box, which may be of any preferred c011- struction, open at the back and provided upon its face with a glass B, upon which the negative C is laid, and upon this negative the surface to receive the print D is spread out. This may be either a sheet of sensitized paper or a zinc plate or any other of the wellknown articles adapted to receive a print through a negative. For convenience I will call it the plate D. This plate is pressed down conveniently upon the negative by means of a pressure-board E, upon the back of which are a series of elastic struts or cushions F, here shown as rubber cylinders mounted by means of central bores f upon pins 6 in the pressure-board E. These struts may of course be of any desired form, number, or material best suited to the purpose. Resting upon these struts and pressing downward upon the same are a series of cross-bars G, preferably hinged to the frame by means of hinges g, as shown, at one end and having pivoted in suitable brackets g at their other ends cam-levers II, the pivots being shown at 9 These cam-levers have handles h at one end and hooks h at the othcr, and upon the outside of the box are a series of pivoted links I, adapted to be engaged by said hooks, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5. The links are pivoted to the boX by means of clips 1', as seen in Fig. 4, or they may be all mounted upon a plate J, (shown in Fig. 5,) and this plate secured to the side of the box, so that all may be put on or taken off together. In this case the hinges may be also secured to a strip K upon the opposite side of the boX and this strip secured to the box.

Looking at Figs. 2 and 5 it should be no ticed that when one of the handles is in the position there shown the downward pull of the link tends to draw the handle against the top of the cross-bar, inasmuch as the link has passed by a slight distance the pivot-line of the lever. Fig. 3 shows the forward handle just before engagement between the hook and the link and the rear handle just after the engagement has taken place and the handle is ready to swing upward to clamp the cross-bar down upon the struts. The clamping is ac eomplished by the carrying of the link around and above the pivot, and the engagement of the link and the handle forms a sort of toggle joint or lever, so that great pressure may be obtained with little effort. The clips i are provided with shoulders 00, which permit the links to drop forward into the position shown at the front in Fig. 3, where they will strike the handles 7L and slide up the under side of the same. This makes it possible to work the frames with great rapidity, because by throwing the cross-bars downward with sufficient force the handle will be given enough impetus when it strikes the link to swing clear around into the locked position without being touched by the operator.

Between the rows of struts upon the pressure-board are strips L, hollowed out at the sides at Z to afford an easy grip for the hand. These strips serve the double purpose of handles for lifting the pressure-board and braces to prevent said board from warping or splitting.

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Fig. 2 shows one of the cross-bars G thrown upward, so that the edge strikes upon the upper edge of the box A, furnishing a stop to prevent the cross-bars from swinging farther back. This is due to the fact that the crossbars are hinged to the inside of the boX. here for any reason it is not desirable to so hinge them, they may be hinged to a separate strip (see K, Fig. 5) with the same result.

I desire not to limit myself to the specific construction here shown, because great variation is possible in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing materially from my invention.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a printing-frame and pressure-board, of a series of cross-bars adapted to hold the board in place, said bars being hinged at one end to one side of the frame and being provided at the other end with a series of clamping and locking latches adapted to engage with suitable devices at the other side of the frame and both draw the bars toward and lock them to the frame; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a frame and pressure-board of cross-bars hinged to one side of the frame and adapted to swing across the same, pivoted links upon the opposite side of the frame and swinging levers pivoted to the free ends of the cross-bars and provided with hooks adapted to engage the links and draw the same above and past the lever-pivots, whereby the cross-bars are forced down upon the pressure-board and the downward pull of the links tends to hold the levers against unlocking; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a printing-frame and its pressure-board, of a series of clamping cross-bars adapted to hold down the pres sure-board, said cross-bars being hinged at one end to one side of the frame, a series of links pivoted to the opposite side of the frame and having a limited movement outward therefrom, a series of locking-levers pivoted to the free ends of the cross-bars and provided with handles adapted to strike upon the links as the cross-bars are thrown downward and also with hooks adapted to engage the links and draw them upward above and past the lever-pivots as the levers are thrown about said pivots, whereby the striking of the lever-handles upon the links may automatically operate the locking-levers and clamp the cross-bars in place; substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 17th day of August, A. D. 1897.

EMANUEL IV. SlVEIGARD.

Witnesses:

CHAS. O. SHERVEY, A. I. II. NELsoN. 

